Irmisch et al. investigate enzymes of the ornamental plant montbretia involved in a complex flavonoid biosynthetic system relevant to human health. https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00406 Background: Type-2 diabetes is a major health challenge of the 21st century requiring new treatments. Plants produce a vast array of natural products that are widely used in traditional and modern medicine. […]

Chen et al. investigate the mechanism of MCD1’s action in chloroplast Z-ring positioning in dividing chloroplasts. https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00189 Background: Chloroplasts are specialized photosynthetic organelles in plants that evolved from an ancient photosynthesizing cyanobacterium through endosymbiosis. Like their ancestors, chloroplasts replicate by binary fission, which is initiated by the bacteria-like cytoskeletal FtsZ ring (Z-ring) at mid-chloroplast. A […]

Schreier et al. investigate the role of a plastid malate dehydrogenase in early chloroplast development. Plant Cell 30: 1745-1769 Background: Malate dehydrogenases (MDH) are enzymes that are widespread in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. MDH interconverts oxaloacetate and malate, using either NAD or NADP as a cofactor. In plant cells, forms of MDH are found in several subcellular compartments. […]

Mateo-Bonmatí et al. have found novel components of the Arabidopsis epigenetic machinery. Plant Cell (2018). https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00300 By Eduardo Mateo-Bonmatí, Lucía Juan-Vicente, Riad Nadi, and José Luis Micol Background: In multicellular organisms, most cells contain the same genetic information. However, the genes that are active or inactive differ among cells of different tissues, organs, etc. The mechanisms […]

Meng et al. show that sorbitol acts as a signal regulating resistance to the fungal pathogen Alternaria alternata in apple.Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00231 By Dong Meng, B. Gillian Turgeon and Lailiang Cheng Background: Sugars produced by photosynthesis fuel plant growth and development, but may also play a role in plant-pathogen interactions, acting as a carbon source […]